Text Size

The upside is that it would help drug companies tap a new market by providing coverage to those who are too poor to buy drugs.

Still, Tauzin expects to hear from Republicans unhappy with PhRMA’s support for expanding the government-run Medicaid program. But he stressed that PhRMA still believes in the free market and patient choice.

“We hope they understand that our politics is very different this year and that’s a product of the election. We got a new team in town who could, I guess, pass what they wanted to,” Tauzin said. “Our job is to make sure that what they pass has as many elements of our principles in them as possible, and that means being at the table.”

Pollack, meanwhile, said that the debate over the public plan has overshadowed other crucial elements needed for successful health care reform. “As important as that issue is, the key ingredients in making health coverage affordable are addressed through what we’re talking about,” Pollack said. “That’s why we want to make these three key components of reform a top priority for Congress and the president.”

To promote their message, the groups are planning a national advertising blitz. The plans have not been solidified, but print, radio, mail, and national cable and network television buys are being considered.

“We’re not talking about a token effort here,” Pollack said. “We’re talking about a major effort that will be very visible.”

The ads will support three key policy proposals.

One would increase adults’ Medicaid eligibility to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, which would include individuals making about $14,400 annually and a family of four making $29,300.

It would also allow individuals to use Medicaid funds to buy private insurance if it saves Medicaid money. They would enjoy the same protections that apply to regular Medicaid participants.

A second would provide income-adjusted subsidies for families buying coverage in the private market. The subsidies would be weighted to provide more assistance to the lowest-income families, who would also receive more help with out-of-pocket expenses.

The plan also calls for reforming the insurance market to prevent insurance companies from denying care to those with preexisting conditions and other health conditions.

Finally, the third proposal would cap out-of-pocket costs to provide families with financial protection.

“What we’re proposing is very consequential,” Pollack said. “It’s designed to expand coverage in an affordable way for people who don’t have it today and are at risk of losing it tomorrow.”

Readers' Comments (5)

It sounds to me like they are teaming up to leave single payer off the table again. It is the only sustainable solution to our health care crisis. If you would like to help pressure Congress to pass single payer health care please join our voting bloc at: http://www.votingbloc.org/Heal...

The dirty secret that the health insurance industry does not want anyone to know is that they are the primary cause of the mess our health care is in: they deny coverage, jack up prices, impose huge administrative costs (way more than any governmental agency), and ruined millions of lives by forcing even people who have health insurance into bankrupcy when they have a serious medical situation. It's time to send those jackals packing and re-build our health care system----without the scourge of private medical insurance.

Kudos to Senator Grassley for stepping up to the table. I am not thrilled with the one payer system and welcome alternatives. We don't need to reinvent this system. We need to make it more efficient, accountable and provide for greater participation. I think the principles are a place to begin a dialogue.

Health care, more than any item on the agenda, is an area where the two parties can and should work together. Really, is Senator Grassley the only leader from the GOP willing to tackle this issue that is so critical to reviving our economy and preventing tragedies that so many U.S. families face?